Mau’umae Beach is my favorite on the Big Island (Hawaii). It’s secluded, sandy, and I can usually have it all to myself on a weekday if I get there early enough. The water is almost always calm so it’s a great place to snorkel. If you happen to be there during the winter months, keep a lookout for whales or dolphins just offshore.

Getting to Mau’umae Beach requires a short hike from Spencer Park or you can drive from the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. If you’re coming from Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, you will need to get an access pass from the guard shack and they only give out 10 passes per day so go early. Once you have your pass, follow the road for approximately 300 yards and take the second right turn. Continue across two small wooden bridges until you arrive at the unpaved parking area above the beach. The trail down to Mau’umae Beach is marked by a sign.

HIking to Mau’umae Beach from Spencer Park

Along the Ala Kahakai Trail to Mau’umae Beach, Hawaii

From Spencer Park, park at the far left side of the parking lot and take the coastal path for about a quarter mile. Fishing is popular along the hike and the views of Mauna Loa are spectacular!

Along the trail to Mau’umae Beach, woman fishing and Mauna Loa in the background.

If you’re on the Big Island, I highly recommend you visit this small, secluded and beautiful beach.

As a family, we’ve hiked in locations around the world and have been lucky enough to hike in Germany, Slovenia, Guam, Hawaii, Virginia, and many more. But I wasn’t surprised when my daughter deemed the Kīlauea Iki Trail on the Big Island as her all-time favorite hike. It’s a fascinating place located within the Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii. Kilauea remains an active volcano to this day.

At the Kīlauea Iki sign, you can go in either direction but I would advise taking the trail to the right and hike counter-clockwise which will lead you through a rain forest, the 1959 lava lake, steam vents, cinder cones, and large fissures in the lava. Keep an eye out for the native nēnē (Hawaiian Goose) ~ we saw two but they were too fast to get a photo. The nēnē are the sixth most endangered waterfowl species in the world.

The rainforest section of the trail is well-worn but be careful with the rocks and occasional exposed roots. We started early in the morning and didn’t see anyone else until we got to the lava lake.

On hikes, my daughter only uses her phone to take photos but while we were on the trail, her college released the dorm assignments and she was excited to learn where she would be living for a year. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the dorm she preferred and it was the only sad part of the hike. But, fast-forward six months later, and she’s thrilled with her suitemates and her dorm.

The ‘Ōhelo berries are a favorite treat for the nēnē and can be found throughout the trail. It is a hardy plant that even grows on the lava. The plant is a relative to the blueberries and the berry can range in color from dark red to pale yellow.

The amazing view from the rainforest.

It was a little surreal to see a runner come through as we walked along the deserted and isolated lava crater but he obviously runs this trail frequently.

Be sure to follow the Ahu (stacked rocks) to find your way through to the other side of the trail. Please don’t disturb them!

If you go, here are a few words of advice:

The trail is moderate to challenging. It’s steep and rocky. The descent/ascent is 400 feet (122m).

It’s a 4-mile (6.4km) loop. It took us approximately 2.5 hours and we stopped for a snack.

The trail head is 2 miles (3.2km) from the Visitor’s Center.

Once you’re at the Kīlauea Iki parking lot (off of Crater Rim Drive), you may go either way from the trailhead. We preferred to go right which took us through the rainforest first then down to the crater floor.

Be sure to bring water, food, hat, sunscreen, camera and rain gear. Be prepared for all types of weather conditions: hot, dry, wet, windy (!). Please remember to “leave only footprints” and bring all your trash and items back out of the area.

A bit of Hawaiian history: In January 1778, Captain Cook made his first visit to the Hawaiian Islands while commanding the HMS Resolution and Discovery. He and his crew are considered the first Europeans to visit the Hawaiian Islands. Cook named the island chain “the Sandwich islands” after a patron named John Montague, the Earl of Sandwich.

Originally, the crew was welcomed by the Hawaiians who were fascinated by the large ships and the use of iron. While Cook re-provisioned his ships by trading metal, some of the sailors traded iron nails for sex. The ships made a brief stop on the island of Ni’ihau then headed north to look for the western end of the Northwest passage.

A year later in January 1779, the crew returned to the islands and docked in Kealakekua Bay. The Hawaiians were celebrating the fertility god, Lono and thought the English were visiting gods. Unfortunately, the crew spent the next month exploiting the Hawaiians. During that month, a crewman died which enlightened the Hawaiians as to the crew’s mortality and the realization that they were not gods. The Hawaiians were undoubtedly thrilled and only too happy to wave goodbye to the HMS Resolution and Discovery as they sailed out of the bay on February 4, 1779.

But wait…rough seas damaged the foremast of the Resolution and, after only a week, Cook was forced to return to Kealakekua Bay. As the ships sailed back into Ka’awaloa Cove, the Hawaiians greeted them by hurling rocks and stealing a small cutter vessel from the Discovery. Captain Cook attempted to negotiate with King Kalaniopuu but it all went sideways when a lesser Hawaiian chief was shot to death. Angry Hawaiians overwhelmed the 10-man shore party and Cook plus four sailors were killed. Before the two ships sailed back to England, the sailors retaliated by killing about thirty Hawaiians.

27-foot obelisk monument to Captain Cook was erected in 1874. The land under the monument was deeded to the UK in 1877. It’s considered as sovereign non-embassy land owned by the British Embassy in Washington DC and maintained by the British Consul–General in California.

Despite the unfortunate events in Hawaii, Captain Cook is regarded as one of the greatest explorer, navigator and mapmaker of all time. He mapped more of the earth than any other explorer. I try to imagine what it must have been like to travel as far and as wide as he did and in such arduous conditions. I complain about my 10-hour flight to Hawaii. Yet, he sailed for years on his ship.

Many people chose to kayak to Ka’awaloa Bay or take an organized boat tour there but we preferred to hike the Ka’awaloa trail. It’s a steep trek but worth it when you get to the bay and jump in the refreshing waters for a swim and a snorkel.

The trailhead is located off of Hwy 11. Turn toward to seaward side onto Napo’opo’o Road and drive to the third telephone pole which is where the trail begins. There’s limited parking and no shade so go early in the morning.

The trail is privately maintained and this flyer provides information on how to volunteer or send a donation

Take heed of the warnings

The signs at the start of the trailhead are self-explanatory. I second all of the “think twice” advice. We ended up on the trail in the middle of the day and there’s NO SHADE for a good portion it. On the way back up the hill, I had no shame and poured water directly over my head just to keep cool. I’m sure I looked frightful to other hikers going down. Can’t stress enough to going early. It’s a two-mile hike from the trailhead to the monument and there’s a 1,300 foot descend. It took me one hour going down and 1.5 hours on the return hike ~ I didn’t stop either way except for a water breaks. It’s not an easy and I would recommend it only if you’re in decent shape. Be sure to pack lots of water, wear a hat, sunscreen and sturdy hiking shoes.

The following are photos from the start to the end of the trail:

Upper part of the trail ~ tall grass

Middle part of the trail

Marker 6 means you’re almost there…and the views are spectacular

Beautiful view along the Ka’awaloa Trail (to Captain Cook’s memorial marker). No shade to be found!

Marker 8 means “you made it!”

Kealakekua Bay ~ Cook’s monument is located on the far side of the bay.

We decided to take advantage of the record-breaking warm temperatures this winter and go on a hike to celebrate the last day of 2015. At the top of Buzzard Rock

Located in the George Washington National Forest , just west of Shenandoah National Park, is the Buzzard Rock trailhead. It’s just outside Front Royal and the address is 3087-3189 Mountain Road/Route 629. Parking is limited (if it’s full, see the link at the end of this post for larger parking areas). The drive from Washington DC takes about an hour and a half. The 1.5 mile trail is marked with white spray paint on either a tree or rock along the path. At the beginning, the terrain is rolling and gentle with a sprinkling of small creeks and a campground area. As you approach the top, the hike becomes steeper and rockier. Beautiful stream My daughter jumping across the streamFor all the biology enthusiasts: lots of lichen along the trail. My favorite is the blaze orange… Looking out toward the Front Royal Fish Hatchery and Passage Creek.

Note the white marking on the tree on the right. Good thing there are marks because some areas become a bit rocky. At Buzzard RockThe views are lovely, even in the winter. I’ll be back to see the scenery in spring and autumn…

A quick comment on hiking etiquette: Most hikers we saw, greeted us with a “hi” or “hey”. But almost all of them didn’t realize hikers coming down should yield to hikers going up. Also, hike quietly ~ there was one woman speaking loudly into her cell phone as she walked down the hill (not stopping for us as we were ascending) and her partner gave us an embarrassed shrug.

If you decide to go, you can get detailed information, maps and how many calories you burn on the hike: here.

After several weeks off, mostly due to rainy weather, we returned to Boonie Stomping. We explored the southeastern coast and ended in the village of Inarajan. It was a beautiful day ~ sunny, clear and, most importantly while hiking, not too hot. The drive to the area is spectacular. Gorgeous views of the ocean and the southern part of the island is much less developed. Our hiking guide got permission for us to park at someone’s house which sat right on the beach ~ so lovely. As always, we were welcomed by the local hospitality.

The entire five mile hike to Bear Rock, at Agfayan Bay, was along the coastline in water up to my knees. Talk about a good workout for my legs. Can you make out the “bear” in the photo below?

There were a few waves which made me a little leery and concerned for my eight years old but we were able to time it so we made it through without getting pushed around too much by the water. Being from Hawaii, I have a healthy respect for waves and never turn my back on the ocean. Sometimes there are rouge waves lurking…

On our way back home, we stopped at a fun seaside restaurant called Jeff’s Pirates Cove for a late lunch. It’s a tourist stop but you can’t beat the atmosphere, beach-side location, good food and fast service.

Another gorgeous day in Guam and we went on our third straight Boonie Stomp. This will probably be the last for a few weeks as we plan explore other beach spots on our own. Today’s stomp was rated difficult and difficult it was. I tried to turn back about 100 feet into the hike and the guy behind me wouldn’t let me. Glad he didn’t because it is a beautiful cove in which I got to do a little snorkeling and the way back up wasn’t nearly as scary.

Thanks to John for taking my pack which was making me off-balance. Thank goodness for these army guys ~ they sure are tough, aren’t they?! I did carry my pack on the way back up least you think I’m a complete wimp! Here’s a photo of Logan and I on the way down the trail:

Fadian Cove is located on the Northeast section of the island and the trail is very steep. I’m not joking when I say I was “stuck” in a couple of spots for fear of sliding a long way down. Once again, it was all worth the effort when we got to the cove and were able to swim/snorkel.

Here I am happy to be back at the top overlooking Fadian Cove ~ isn’t the water glorious looking?

From the time John told me we were moving to Guam, I started reading the local newspaper, the Pacific Daily News, on-line as well as two Guam blogs. I would check one particular blog, Latitude 13, everyday. Latitude 13 is a smart, funny and very Guam-positive blog. It gave me a local’s perspective regarding life on Guam.

It was on Latitude 13 that I first heard about Boonie Stomps. It’s a public hike every Saturday to a beach, waterfall, cave or WWII monument. The Boonie Stomps are rated easy to very difficult and, when reading the announcements for upcoming stomps, I noticed the easy ones are few and far between. So, when I saw an easy hike listed in the newspaper for the first Saturday we were here, we decided to give it a go.

As we got out of the car at 8:45 am, the thermometer read 94 degrees. Racing through my mind was how do I get out of this since it was my idea in the first place. John and Logan were not about to turn around so I just kept drinking lots of water in the hopes that I wouldn’t succumb to heat exhaustion. Really, what was I thinking?

There were between 30-40 people at registration but I was more concerned with why they were offering gloves for sale. I figured at $1.00 a pair I’d best get all of us a pair.

The hike was a half mile STRAIGHT down a hillside on an unmarked path. There were big spiders perched on the trees and bushes along the way. We actually used these same spiders as landmarks on the way back up the hill so they became less manacing and more of a useful tool. The gloves were used for grabbing onto a tree or bush as I slid down the hillside ~ all I could think was “best three bucks I spent all week.”

Was the hike worth all the effort?! You bet. We ended up at the beautiful Ague Cove with no one else around except us hikers.

We met a couple of really nice people. Most of the hikers had their snorkel equipment with them and spent most of their time at the cove in the water (note to self: buy snorkel gear). The hike was actually on private property but the BoonieStompers had been given special permission.

Personally, I would not have rated this hike as easy. Let’s just say I am a little scared to attempt medium or difficult hikes.

After 10 stomps, you get a free t-shirt! I’ll let you know when I get one LOL